Perpetual calendar



Jam. 27', 1925 1,524,393

1 A. C. ELPHINSTONE PERPETUAL CALENDAR Filed Oct. 31, 1923 7 6 v 5) I l m I b W I x\ \y u. i0 9 12 INVENTOR l lemndfer flpiauslbze Patented Jan. 27, 1925. 5 3

UNITED. "STATES ALEXANDER C. ELPHINSTONE, OF ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

PERPETUAL CALENDAR.

Application fi1ed October 31, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER C. Elf irHINs'roNn, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented, certain new and useful Improve ments in Perpetual Calendars, of which the following is a specification,such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to perpetual calendars and particularly to a device of this class by means of which any day of a predetermined year, or month of a year, or day of the week of said month may be accurately and positively determined without any mathematical calculations, and the object of the invention is to provide a calendar or device of the class specified upon which the data for finding and determining a given date is compactly arranged and in such. a simple manner as to readily and quickly facilitate the finding of the desired date; and with this and other objects in view the invention consists in a device of the class and for the purpose specified which is simple in construction, efficient in use and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a perpetual calendar or device made according to my invention; and,

Fig. 2 a partialsection on the line 2--2 of Fig. '1. and on an enlarged scale.

In the accompanying drawing l have shown one method of carrying my invention into effect, and in the drawing 1 have shown at 5 .a rectangular card or board upon the top face of which is printed or otherwise marked, either directly upon the card or board, or upon a sheet mounted thereon, seven month sections 6 consecutively headed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and in the separate month sections headed, as above described, the first day of the month begins on the day designated over such sections, for example, under the Sunday section, the first day of the month falls on Sunday.

I also mount upon the front or back face Serial No. 671,860.

of the card or board 5, the front face, in the construction shown, a supplemental card 7 having a rectangular aperture 8 therein and, in the construction shown, the card or board 5 is provided with an elongated aperture 9 rearwardly of theaperture 8 and the supplemental card 7 is spaced from the card 5 to provide a chamber 10 therebetween in which is mounted a movable card member l1 on the front face of which is arranged a series of numbers in a series of spaces, said spaces being formed by thirteen verticalrows and six longitudinal rows, and the numbers 1 to 31 are so arranged in the spaces as to provide in the aperture 8 any possible month calendar with the first day of the month appearing under any day of the week, in other words, the card member 11 will take the place of and serve the purpose of the seven month sections 6 on the card or board 5, and either of the calendar units may be used as may be desired. The card member 11 is provided with a backwardly directed finger piece 12 which extends through the aperture 9, and by means of which the card member 11 may be adjusted to different positions.

On the face of the card or board 5 is ar ranged a century and year determining key orindex section 13, an index section 14: for determining the day of theweek upon which the first of January of a predetermined year may fall and with two other key or index sections 15 and 16 for determining the day of the week upon which the first of each month in a predetermined year may fall, the key or index section 15 being for leap year. while the key or index section 16 is for other than leap year.

In the use of my improved perpetual calendar or device in finding or determining a predetermined date. the first step in the op eration or procedure is to determine the day of the week upon which the first day of such year falls by consulting the key or index sections 13v and 14, after which the first day ofthe week of a predetermined month in such year may be determined by consulting the key or index sections 15 or 16 and the desired date may be determined on one of the seven month sections 6, or by manipulating the card. member 11. In or der that my invention may be thoroughly understood the following example is given.

If it be desired to determine what day of the week Christmas day, December 25th,

January first 19 23 falls on Monday, as thisv was not a leap year, the leap years being enclosed by two heavy lines 17, the index section 16 is considered and the column headedby Jan. designating January is traced down until Mon. is reached and the-nthe longitudinal column is traced to the right until we find under the vertical column head"Dec. designating December,

'Satf designating Saturday, in other words the first day of December in the year 1923 falls 'on Saturday. By considering the month section 6 headed Saturday it is readily determined that Christmas day, December 25, 1923, falls on Tuesday. The card member 11 may also be manipulated to accomplish the same result.

.. It will also be understood that two other month sections 6 might be incorporated for.

the month of February which is a twentyeight or twenty-nine day month depending upon the year, that is to say, whether it is a leap year or'other than. a leap year, and also a card member suitable for the 1 month of February may beprovided, and it mwill also be understood that thirty day month sections or cards may be employed and may be found to be practical in some uses'of my invention, and this will avoid the necessity of determining or fixing the question as to the number otdays in a predetermined month.

In order that the invention as well as the use of the invention may be thoroughly understood I submit another example in which it is desired to determine what day of the week Christmas day, December 25th. falls in the year 1924, the column 13 in which the numeral 19 appears is traced to theright in which we find in the column 13" the characters Mon. designating Monday and tracing downwardly in the column headed by Mon. in the section 14 opposite the numeral 24, we find characters Tue. designating Tuesday,'and as the numeral 24 is-enclosed in the lines 17 we'know that it isa leap year and the section 15 is then considered, and the first column headed by Jan. is traced downwardly until Tue. is reached and the longitudinal column is then-tracedto the right to the last vertical column headed by Dec. in which we find in the past or in the future, it being under stood. that the numerals 1 to 100 are first considered and consulted to determine the century and secondly consulted for determining the year in a given century, in

other words, in the second century it it was desired to find a given date in the year 170. the numeral 1 in the columns 13 will designate the second century and tracing to the right we find Fri. designating the Friday column in the section 14 and. tracing downwardly in this column we find to the left ot' the numeral Mon. which will designate that the first day of January in the year 170 falls on Monday. In other words. and as above stated, the numerals 1 to are first consulted with reference to the century and next to the year in a given century and in this way any date may be determined and positively fixed. As will be understood more than a hundred centuries may be designated on the calendar or device. or other changes in the arrangement of the key or index sections or the characters in said sections may be made. Any desired arrangemcnt of month forming sections or units may be provided without departing); from the spirit of my invention, and also the perpetual calendar or device may be produced in any shape or form, for example, it may be simply printed on a sheet of paper or constitute a. part of a. book, or may he made up in frames or in various other ways without departing from the spirit of my in vention, and various other changes in and modifications of the construction herein shown and described may be made. within the scope of the appended claims. without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

It will also be apparent that I am no! necesarily limited to the use of any calendar month sections in connection with the chart formed by the sections 1?. 14-, 15 and Hi as these calendar month sections merely facilitate the finding of a given date. while the other sections which constitute index or key sections are the important and necessary elements to carry the invention into effect.

In determining a given date of a year of a, hundred centuries or more. the last two figures of the century alone need be considered in finding a predetermined date. For example, it' December 25th in the year 11 923 were to be determined, the .date would be found by first tracing in the, sec

tion 13 until the numeral 19 is reached, designating the 20th century and the remainder ot the procedure will be as hereinbefore set out. In other words, the hundredth centuries need not be considered or computed, as the days in the 120th century will be the same as the 20th century. c

It will be understood with the use out my improved calendar the actual numerals of a predetermined year, for example the year 1923, are used in finding a predetermined date, and while the year 1923 is regarded as the twentieth century, the numerals 19 are used in my calendar to designate the century in question.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The herein described means for determining the day of the week upon which the first day oi a predetermined year falls comprising two associated and characterized sections, one of said sections being provided with name 'als consecutively arranged and the other section being provided with the days of the week in predetermined arrangement with refercnec to each other and to the numerals of the first named section, and said first named numeral section oeing provided with other characters forming part of the first named section and designating predetermined days of a week in fined arrangement with reference to the numerals 01" said section.

The herein described means tor determining the day of the week upon which the first day of a predetermined year falls comprising two associated and characterized sections, one of said sections being provided with numerals consecutively arranged and the other section being provided with the days of the week in predetermined arrangement with reference to each other and to the numerals of the first named section. and said first named numeral section being provided with other characters "Forming part of the first named section and designating predetermined days of a week in fixed arrangement with reference to the numerals of said section, the numerals of said first named section designating centuries and years.

3. The herein described means for determining the day of the week upon which the first day of a predetern'iined year falls comprising two associated and characterized sections, one of said sections being provided with numerals consecutively arranged and the other section being provided with the days of the week in predetermined arrangement with reference to each other and to the numerals of the first named section, said first named numeral section being provided with other characters forming part of the first named section and designating pre' determined days of a week in fixed arrange ment with reference to the numerals of said section, the numerals of said first nan'ied section designating centuries and years, and means for distinguishing leap years from other years.

t. The herein described means for determining a predetermined day of a week in a predetermined month of a predetermined year comprising a. plurality of independently characterized sections, one ot said sections being provided with consecutively arranged numerals designating centuries and the years in a century, another of said sections being mounted in predetermined relation with the first named section and characterized to denote the day of the week upon which the first day of a predetermined year tails.

The herein described means for determining a predetermined day of a week in a predetermined month of a predetern'iined year COIHIH'lSlHg a plurality of independently chaiacterized sections, one of said sections being provided with consecutively arranged numerals designating centuries and the years in a century, another of said sections being mounted in predetermined relation with the first named section and characterizcd to denote the day of the week upon mining a predetermined day of a week in a 1wedetermined month of a predetern'iinml ye'ar comprising a plurality of indepencl: ently characterized sectimisone or said sections being providedv with consecutively arranged numerals designating centuries and the years in a century, another of said sections being mounted in predetermined relation with the first named section and characterized to denote the day of the week upon which the first day ot a predetermined year tails, means in the first named section cooperating with means in the second named section tor determining and fixing the first day of a year, and another of said sections being characterized to de'l'ern'iine the day of the week upon which the first day of a predetermined month in a predetermined year falls.

7. The herein described means for determining a predetern'iined day of a week in a predetermined month of a predetermined year comprising a plurality of independently characterized sections, one of said sec tions being provided with consecutively arranged numerals designating centuries and the years in a century, another of said sections being mounted in predetermined relation with the first named section and char .1 6, The herein described means for deteracterized to denote the day of the week upon which the first day of a predetermined year falls, means in the first named section cooperating with means in the second named section for determining and fixing the first day of a year, another of said sections being'characterized to determine the day of the week upon which the first day of a predetermined month in a predetermined year ialls, and means cooperating with said sections for determining any day in a predetermined month of a predetermined year.

8. A device of the class described comprising a suitable mounting on which is arrangedcolumns of numerals from one consecutively to a predetermined number, every fourth number being characterized to designate a leap year, and the first, second, third and fourth numbers in e'ach set of four numbers being characterized to designate respectively Friday, Vednesday, Monday and Saturday.

9. A device of the class described comprising a suitable mounting on which is arranged coluinns of numerals from one consecutively to a predetermined number, every fourth number being characterized to designate a leap year, the first, second, third and fourth numbers in each set of four numbers being characterized to designate respectively Friday, lVednesday, Monday and Saturday, and all of the days of the Week being associated with said numerals independent of the first named days of the week'and in predetermined relation.

-10. A'device of the class described comprisinga suitable mounting on which is arranged columns of numerals from one con secutively toa predetermined number, every fourth number being characterized to designate a leap year, the first, second, third and fourth numbers in each set of four numbers being characterized to designate respectively Friday, YVedncsday, Monday and Saturday, and all of the days of the week being associated with said numerals independent of the first named days of the week and in predetermined relation, said last named days of the week being arranged in columns, the separatecolumns being designated by the first named days of the week.

11. A device of the class described comprising a suitable mounting on which is arranged columns of numerals from one consecutively to a predetermined number, every fourth number being characterized to designate a leap year, the first, second, third and fourth numbers in each set of four numbers being characterized to designate respectively Friday, Wednesday, Monday and Saturday, and all of the days of the week being associated with said numerals independent of the first named days of the week and in predetermined relation, said last named days of the week being arranged in columns, the separate columns being designated by the first named d'ays of the week, and an index or key element having cross columns designated by the months of a year and the days of a week and with the days of a week arranged in predetermined relation in the inter-sections of said columns.

12. A perpetual calendar of the, class described comprising a suitable mounting on which is arranged seven calendar month sections, said sections being designated Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Vednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday and index means for determining the first day of a predetermined month in a predetermined year and century.

13. A perpetual calendar of the class described comprising a suitable mounting on which is arranged seven calendar month sections, said sections being designated Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, \Vednesday. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and index means for determining the first day of a predetermined month in a predetermined year and century, and a supplemental month section the separate vertic'al columns of which are designated to represent the days of the week and the days of the month being arranged on a movable element whereby the first day of a predetermined month may be moved into position to register with any day of a week in said supplemental section.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name this 25th day of Oct. 1923.

ALEXANDER C. ELPHTNS'IONE. 

